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Maybe I’m crazy but I do not believe the newly labeled AppleTV 4 announced on September 9th is the big step into the living room Apple was hoping for and was prepared to introduce at June’s WWDC. I do believe that Apple was almost there and at the last-minute, changed their strategy, whether out of frustration with negotiations, or as a conscious determination to change tactics Apple pulled the hardware and instead offered the Apple TV 4, I am convinced that newer hardware is on the way and here’s why! Continue reading “Is the new Apple TV ready for prime time? not yet !” »

Apple has released its new OS for their mobile devices including iPhones , iPad and even iPods. Like its counterpart in the Mac platform El Capitan this OS concentrates on tightening up the systems under the hood, reducing bulk, eliminating extraneous code.

Also a new NEWS app.

It’s Lean and Mean. It also adds a few major features a refined look with new system font named San Francisco and better integration within the Eco system.

For a full well written detailed review of this latest OS and the features it now available Click Here

7/15/2015: Apple introduced an updated iPod line today. On the good side, lots of power bringing it up to iPhone 6 specs with a new 64bit A8 processor, access to Metal for gamers, M8 Motion Processor for fitness benefits and a 8 megapixel camera with stabilization. Overall 6x speed inprovements 10x Graphics compared to predecessor.Starting at $199 for 16gig five colors Space gray, blue, gold, pink, and silver as well as a Product Red option.

Under missed opportunities: As my readers know, I do feel vindicated, barely, although Apple did finally update its iPod line supporting my prediction, they have not chosen to increased its screen size (hoping for 7″) to better facilitate gaming nor have they increased its audio quality along the lines of Neil Young’s Pono player. Both moves I believed would have reinvigorated the line, ignited the Apple Music (Beats) brand and disrupted the hand held gaming market.

What’s up with Apple’s seemingly strange decision to design and stock third party accessories in Apple designed packaging?

Click on this image to read Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac.com post on this

I think I may have an answer

If you remember back in April 2015, Apple announced that in conjunction with, and to be managed by,The Conservation Fund they were purchasing two Forests totaling 36,000 acres one in North Carolina and another in Maine .

Here is Apple’s Linda Jackson on Apples intention with it’s purchase at the time.

Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environmental initiatives and former administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, told BuzzFeed News that the company managing its own supply chain — rather than buying pulp from outside vendors — represents a massive step forward.

“Imagine if every time you opened a package from a company you knew that it came from a working forest. And imagine if companies took seriously their paper chain and made sure that was renewable, just like energy. And imagine if they didn’t just buy renewable paper, but took the step of ensuring that they would stay working forests forever.”

By bringing in outside vendors and enticing them with special placement in Apples’s retail Stores in exchange for utilizing Apple’s sustainable Forest for sourcing their packaging Apple may be moving this initiative forward. A Win Win for all.

Apple’s strategy of doubling down on privacy as an effective business model in response to Google and its Android OS seems to be bearing fruit for company. As arguably the most famous proponent of citizen privacy Erik Snowden commented directly to this question posed by TechCrunch journalist Constine

UPDATE 4 8/4/2015 This is what I am talking about with Radio starting to expand its channels Click Here

UPDATE 3 7/15/2015: Apple introduce updated iPod line. Well I feel vindicated, barely, although Apple did finally update its iPod line, they have not chosen to increased its screen size to better facilitate gaming nor have they increased its audio quality along the lines of Pono. Both moves I believed would have reinvigorated the line , the Apple Music brand and disrupted the gaming market. Oh Well 😎

UPDATE 2 7/3/2015: Wait a minute maybe I was right at least about a new iPod , hopefully with HD ability Check out this post.

UPDATE: I was mostly wrong for now , I believe my thoughts for a new HD iPod were wrong if not I’m sure Appke would have introduced it with the new Music unveiling. However I believe my concept of a DJ curated service will be incorporated not only to music but news as well.

Streaming music services are beginning to upend the Music industry. Stung by services like Pandora , iTunes Radio, Rdio and others, music business executives see this a positive development and a possible path to reinvigorate the industry. I have my own thoughts on this but more on that later *

Apple, who many credit with saving the Music business during the Napster days has seen a slow decline in iTunes sales last year. Apple famous for not spending money buying technology they believe they can do better spent roughly three billion dollars or triple the dollars they have ever spent on an acquisition buying Beats Music service. Why ?

Apple seems to have fallen behind other subscription services ? Why is it taking so long for Apple to launch? Apple long known for following the beat of its own drummer is once again taking their sweet time until they feel they have it right. After many years as experts in music , Apple understands that the model of incorporating algorithms to choose music for listeners does not encourage listeners to purchase or in this new model, subscribe.
I believe Apple has come up with a model that harkens back to the heyday of the music business, I predict they will reintroduce the DJ.

In February 2012 I published a post urging Microsoft to purchase or exclusively collaborate with HP for control of their computer manufacturing business, at the time HP was breaking itself up to concentrate on following IBM into the enterprise business and spinning off their hardware business. See that post here. As well as my call for Microsoft to purchase Radio Shack here. Something I thought would jump start their business. That was a critical time in HP’s history with the demise of Leo Apotheker who in prior months was fired for proposing and preparing the company for the same change Meg Whitman who replaced him is calling for now. The HP Board surrounded themselves with cozy solutions that would not upset their Apple cart and reverted back to its outdated business model. Now more then three years later Meg Whitman is taking HP where they feared to go and is spinning off its hardware businesses. Meanwhile to the north Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer was taking personal responsibility for Microsoft’s missteps following his “surprised by mobile” debacle. Ballmer started formulating the “One Windows” initiative and began the process of expanding their manufacturing business with its new phone partner Nokia for the handling Window phones while Microsoft independently produced their answer to the iPad their Surface pro along with the Xbox, great mice, Zune, keyboards etc. Like the HP board Steve Ballmer blinked like a deer caught in the headlights, this time even Bill Gates could not give Steve another chance. Which leads us to today with Satay in the hot seat.

Comments like this are becoming more and more common as users settle in and begin to customize the features

Five Weeks and Counting

Here from Jean-Louis Gassée– former CEO of Be the operating system for Macintosh and Head of the Macintosh division of Apple Computer during Steve Jobs exile. But that’s another story click the link above if your interested.

From Gassées highly respected blog Monday Note

The bottom line is mostly good news: After 5 weeks, I find my new Sport Apple Watch well-made, useful and pleasant. I think it’ll be very successful and place Apple in an enviable position in the emerging Smartwatch category.

And

I can’t help remember the first iPhone eight years ago: No native apps, no cut-and-paste, no accented characters, so-so call quality, short battery life… Compared to the 2007 device, the Apple Watch, with its array of models and bands, shows deep thought and quality execution.

Apple’s deep dive into medical expertise in its development of Apple Watch may have a financial benefit for its consumers. If Health Insurance Companies certify its devices for health measure or collecting devices much like the do for traditional heart monitors or blood sugar meters it is possible that they would assume some of the cost for those patients who would benefit by using such devices. This may explain why Apple has gone thru such great lengths to hire prestigious medical personnel along with over the top efforts to create such an accurate device and to keep in touch with the FDA for guidance along the way.

While other Cable companies are placing road blocks for cord cutters Cablevision has taken the bull by the horns by offering old fashion competition.

Cablevision Systems Corp. Thursday took a step toward retaining cord cutters who do without cable TV service, by offering two new products that include broadband service, Wi-Fi access and a digital antenna to capture over-the-air broadcast TV signals. Read the TechCrunch Report Here

Photo Credit: Bloomberg News

Over the years Cablevision a Long Island based cable company has led the cable industry with vision. Always ahead of its competitors and as well as other cable companies. Recently the company announced a deal with HBO NOW similar to the one signed with Apple, introduced a WIFI only mobile network FreeWheel for $9.99 per month, has spread WIFI over its entire coverage area with over one million hotspots available to its members and readers of its Newspaper Newsday. Always leading the pack by its Chairman James Dolan (Owner of the NY Knicks & Madison Square Gardens). Cablevision has always met its competition with innovation from its “DVR” Lawsuit case back in 2006 to this weeks announcement to provide cord cutters with fast internet only service as well as a free digital antenna for over the air digital stations.

This new app allows people like you and I (the rest of us) to broadcast a live stream to viewers around the world.

Every day people are coming up with new ideas for live broadcasts from back stage of The Ellen Degeneres Show to Q&As with tech Billionaires as well as intimate conversations with people from all over the world. The possibilities are exciting. See below

I have found myself addicted to this new Twitter owned app for IOS. Periscope

Every day after he leaves his Studio usually around sunset the Director Giulio Base conducts a walking tour of the beautiful sites of Rome . The people who follow him can ask questions that he cheerfully answers in a variety of languages.

Later that night bacteria to EST Moe Saleh takes us into Times Sqaure, Central Park or Rockerfeller Center , inside Cathedrals or Grand Central Station as well as other parts of NYC where he has been known to hand out donations at the behest of his followers to people in need or local street entertainers for putting on a show just for us.

Check it out, it’s free in The App Store by clicking the photo icon above.

This app is only for IOS users only (so far no word yet on a windows phone or android version) and best to keep your eye on your data usage, its live streaming after all. I use my iPad over WIFI and it’s been great !!!

The land — two tracts in Maine and North Carolina that, combined, are roughly two and a half times the size of Manhattan — will be managed by The Conservation Fund. This land is part of an estimated 45 million acres of private forest in the U.S. that are in danger of being lost to development.

Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environmental initiatives and former administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, told BuzzFeed News that the company managing its own supply chain — rather than buying pulp from outside vendors — represents a massive step forward.“Imagine if every time you opened a package from a company you knew that it came from a working forest. And imagine if companies took seriously their paper chain and made sure that was renewable, just like energy. And imagine if they didn’t just buy renewable paper, but took the step of ensuring that they would stay working forests forever.”@ over 36,000 acres it is more then twice the size of Manhattan Island, to be fair it probably costs more the $24 as well (apv)

Notice the Graphic featuring the shape of the current Apple TV , also do the words ” The epicenter for change “ refer to the living room as the “epicenter” of the home? Considering the recent Media deals, strong rumors and chatter on the net and the recent reduction in price of the current unit this could be it.

I am looking for a new box that includes Home Kit, TV Kit, New Grid type interface, Channel Packages, and Gaming capabilities along with remote gaming controls. I lot to ask for but I believe they have been working on all these features over the last few years and believe all the technology is in place.

Here is a link to a post I did back in 2012 outlining my thoughts on the direction Apple could be going, I think it still holds up Click Here

Describing the process Apple goes thru to “get it right” , when shooting the jellyfish they actually built a tank in the design studio.

David Pierce:

Yet what Dye seems most fascinated by is one of the Apple Watch’s faces, called Motion, which you can set to show a flower blooming. Each time you raise your wrist, you’ll see a different color, a different flower. This is not CGI. It’s photography.

“We shot all this stuff,” Dye says, “the butterflies and the jellyfish and the flowers for the motion face, it’s all in-camera. And so the flowers were shot blooming over time. I think the longest one took us 285 hours, and over 24,000 shots.”

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As funding for PBS continues to dry up at the whims of politicians there may be a silver lining in Apple’s TV new service

First a little history for our younger readers. Once upon a time the beginning of cable television offered up some great promise for premium content programming. Premium channels like The Alpha Repertory Television Service — or ARTS & The Entertainment Channel which merged to become A&E , Bravo, American Movie Classics (Now AMC) before these channels went commercial and turned into what they are now they were an attempt to capture the the dollars of the more ” sophisticated tastebuds”. They all premiered with wonderful content from operas to concerts and plays but one by one they disappeared into the mess we call cable tv. The reason for their failure can be traced to many different problems including the wild west like environment at the birth of the industry , poor planning, competition, confused public, or lack of interest.

With the introduction of streaming service there exists a chance to bring back channels like that who can then rely on viewer support to find success. I believe it also provides a unique opportunity for Public Broadcasting Stations to supplement their funding from a subscription service. Like the current app found on Apple TV viewers could pick their local stations and subscribe with a monthly fee of say $3.99 with proceeds split between local station and a national fund. Hopefully freeing them up from their fund raising drives.

If Apple is correct, that eventually their Watch will capture the mobile market and if they continue to disallow traditional type ads on their watch where does that leave Android developers and bigger question still Google itself?

Business Insider seems to believe that Apple is not convinced to let ads appear on their darling. See here for their thoughts Business Insider Watch Ads

My personal opinion is that Apple will not allow traditional ads on their precious watch real estate for the simple reason that there is no need to.

Here are a few reasons why.

1) The watch is a fashion piece and Apple will not want to contaminate it with tasteless ads.

2) Such a strategy will deal a blow to Android , The IOS platform will be so valuable that developers will be able to sell their apps ad free. Research shows that Android app buyers show a preference for free apps that feature ads as a trade off.

3) Apple will take this opportunity to reinforce their marketing campaign that Apple does not see its customers as the product.

4) Apple will tie their iBeacon Technology into Apple Watch allowing companies to send alerts to shoppers nearby their in store iBeacons. Denying Android watches the advantage of this feature.

After an unprecedented period of development, research and market preparation Apple with todays introduction of Apple Watch has positioned it self to once again to disrupt an industry. As Muhammad Ali loved to shout “They Shook up the World”. This time and for the first time without the guidance of, the man of the hour, the legend, the king of change, the Master of Disruption the one and only MR STEVE JOBS. Both Tim Cook and Jony Ives both having been anointed by Steve to replicate the duality embodied in his bodily form are accepting the heavyweight belt. Mr. Form and Mr. Function if you will today stepped onto the World Stage making this “Product” intro not just about a ground breaking new product combining both elements of that form and function equation but one that raises the bar by adding a new challenge for Apple, The fashion Business, not an easy crowd to please. It appears that Apple lead by the duo have taken this challenge very seriousely. Early on for instance, recognizing that for any wearable technology to succeed it had to be more then marrying form and function it had to be stylish enough for non geek consumers to wear, Apple scoured the globe for talent and knowledge outside it’s campus and brought that talent into the mothership and the Apple family. For the first time we are seeing power of Apple’s newly acquired financial resources and marketing savvy being utilized in a highly coordinated worldwide product launch. It certainly appears that Apple has taken their responsibility of due diligence very seriously. A requirement many of the world’s largest companies almost never take the time to do. Apple has demostrated by bringing on fashionistas Andrea Ahrendts and Mark Newhouse as well as other top personnel from the Medical, Health and Watch industry, that they are clearly speaking a new business language, one that lacks the arrogance that many accused Steve of having (granting that Steve’s genius was intuitive) but should command the respect deserving of a new Heavyweight Champion.

This is a Big Event for Apple

I am not one hundred percent sure that Steve had nothing to do with the Watch , I do know that the idea was in his head as evidenced in one of his last keynotes introducing the iPod Nano, every one of those present in the live audience could see that twinkle in his eye that we all knew meant he was up to something.

Apple Launches Upgraded iPodSAN FRANCISCO – SEPTEMBER 01: Apple CEO Steve Jobs demonstrates the features of the new touch screen version of the iPod Nano as he speaks during an Apple Special Event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts September 1, 2010 in San Francisco, California. Jobs announced upgraded versions of the entire iPod line, including an iPod Touch that includes a camera. He also showed the new iTunes version 10 and the release of the second generation of Apple TV.

“One of the members of our Board of Directors is going to use it as a watch,” Jobs said

Iconic: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation takes you on a tour of the most visually stunning and important products produced by the world’s most innovative company — Apple.

With a breathtaking collection of unique photography, Iconic: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation takes the reader on a tour of the most visually stunning and important products produced by the world’s most innovative company — Apple. Follow Apple’s journey through a photographic collection of their most important desktops, portables, peripherals, prototypes, iDevices (iPad, iPod and iPhone) and packaging.

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Released in 1994, the Newton MessagePad 120 was available with 1 MB or 2 MB of RAM and supported Newton OS 2.0 which included several enhancements, including dramatically better handwriting recognition, improved backup of data to Mac or PC, an improved user interface and a better LCD display